Thursday, September 03, 2009

Around the World: Indonesia

Indonesia -- land of tempeh! For those of you not familiar, tempeh is made by cooking and fermenting whole soybeans until they form a solid cake that can be sliced and steamed or fried; it has a nutty, mushroomy flavor and a firm texture. Nutritionally, tempeh has more bioavailable protein than tofu or plain cooked soybeans, and the fermentation process makes it easier to digest. So thank you, Indonesia, for inventing my favorite soy food and a vegan protein powerhouse!

Lunch inspired by Indonesia: (clockwise from top right) Golden Indonesian Tempeh, made with a sweet soy sauce - brown sugar caramelizing glaze and a touch of spicy chile, Indonesian Vegetable Pickles, tangerine and star fruit, and Yellow Coconut Rice. The rice is garnished with a Chile Blossom (Have I mentioned that the new book includes an entire chapter on lunch box garnishes? Indeed it does!)

The vegetable pickles include lots of shallots, a member of the onion family which might not be familiar to all of us here in the West but is used extensively in Indonesia.

I am such a big fan of your blog. I am obsessed with blogs and I just happened to stumble across yours on a whim and now I cant keep myself off of it!! I'm addicted! I was in a food rut this month and your blog came at the most perfect time. I am tired of eating the same ol' thing ....and being fully vegetarian/semi-vegan I always feel limited to what I can eat for lunch. Thank You so much for your blog!!! I ordered your books right away and cant wait for them to arive. I am considering buying the Bento 2.0 right now and wanted to ask. Are they large enough for an adults lunch meal? Not that I eat much as I am petite but I want to make sure they hold enough food for me to eat lunch everyday before I buy one. Thoughts???

Wow, that looks really yummy. I have tried tempeh without liking it too much. I'll have to give it another go. Have you ever eaten natto? It's a Japanese side dish of fermented soy beans and very nutritional.

I love indonesian cuisine! My dad was born there so that was something of the "traditional" food in our house. When my mom visited we spent hours making lumpia and emping to dip in katjeng sauce! It's hard to find good vegan wraps for lumpia, though.